State legislative staffer gets $310K for retaliation

A legislative staffer has settled her retaliation claim with the California Senate for $310,000.

Adriana Ruelas was the legislative director for now-former senator Tony Mendoza, D-Buena Park. In 2017, she and two other staffers in the office told the Senate human resources department Mendoza had been harassing a young intern in the Senate Fellows program. All three were fired at that meeting.

The Senate later conducted an investigation, substantiating claims Mendoza sexually harassed the intern and several other women. He has denied any wrongdoing but resigned from the Senate in 2018. Investigators also said they found no evidence Ruelas was retaliated against.

She later sued Mendoza and the Senate, claiming she was fired in retaliation and saying Mendoza's disparaging comments about her in the press made it difficult for her to find another job. In late 2018 a Sacramento judge rejected the Senate's claim of immunity under the Government Claims Tort Act. Ruelas v. California State Senate, 00230185 (Sac. Super. Ct., filed April 3, 2018).

"It takes strong leadership for an institution to change, and this resolution is confirmation of the Legislature's commitment to do so," said Ruelas' attorney, Micha Star Liberty of Liberty Law Office in Oakland. "It cannot be missed, however, that the path to change was sparked by my client's fierce defense of a sexual harassment survivor and her unwavering willingness to speak truth to the power structure. She risked her job, and her reputation in order to achieve accountability."

Ruelas is now chief of staff to Assemblyman James Ramos, D-Highland.

-- Malcolm Maclachlan